Northern Europe Birds · April

Barn Swallow

Hirundo rustica

Fork-tailed aerial insect hunter found on six continents.

At a glance

HabitatOpen country, farms, wetlands, nest sites on buildings

DietFlying insects caught on the wing

RangeBreeds across the Northern Hemisphere; long-distance migrant

Coloring posein flight, forked tail clear

Hear this bird

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Mating / display: No separately labeled courtship recording was found on primary sources for this species — use the general calls page.

Play calls on All About Birds Wikipedia overview

How to know it

Deeply forked tail with long streamers
Steel-blue back, rufous throat
Twinkling flight low over fields

Fun facts

Mud cup nests under eaves and bridges
A classic sign of spring in Europe
Drinks and bathes in flight

Companion page for the Birds Coloring Calendar series by R. J. D. B. Fact summaries are original educational text. Call playback via outbound links only. Not affiliated with Cornell Lab, Audubon, or Xeno-canto.

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